A financial report filed with the Arkansas Ethics Commission last month showed $5,340 was spent gathering signatures for a referendum petition related to a zoning ordinance that would allow for construction of a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Russellville.

A separate document filed with the Ethics Commission on May 16 outlined the organization of Skyline Joint Venture LLC as a ballot question committee (BQC). Committee members listed in the document were Richard Peel, Kent Dollar, Dow Dollar, Jim Lieblong, William S. Lewis, Ormond Peters and Charles Brown. An amendment to the BQC statement of organization filed May 21 listed only Peel.

Skyline Joint Venture LLC was listed in documents filed with the Ethics Commission as the sole contributor to the BQC.

Documents from the Pope County Assessor’s Office show Skyline Joint Venture LLC as the owner of property located at 3301-3303 W. Main Place, which houses the Cash Saver grocery store.

Peel, who was listed as the authorized contact for the BQC and also signed both documents, did not respond to requests for comment by The Courier.

The petition was submitted in May to City Clerk Kathy Collins, who verified 917 of some 1,400 signatures submitted, which exceeded the needed 878 signatures required to put the matter to vote.

The referendum election, scheduled for Aug. 13, will allow voters to confirm or overturn a zoning ordinance, passed 6-2 by the City Council in April, that establishes a planned unit development (PUD) for property located at West Main Street and South Vancouver Avenue. The PUD zoning would allow for construction of a Walmart Neighborhood Market at that location.

Someone needs to tell a certain property that no matter whether the new Walmart store is built or not, the current tenet is not long for his building. It exists in an unsustainable business model. Good luck finding another renter.

It would appear as if the real problem is that a few individuals with a financial interest are attempting to once again control the future growth of Russellville! As for the grocery store mentioned, I am curious why the prices they claim to be cost are so high that in many cases the completion's every day prices are lower... I feel that someone should file suit against the agitators behind this petition to force them to bear the cost of the election that they are attempting to force down the residents throat! You guys don't want the competition then work harder to get my business and quit gouging the general public to line your pockets!

well well well, you see people, they did not do this because they thought the council was wrong, they did not do this because they thought the traffic and crime would go up, they did not do this for our "we the people" benefit, this was done to benefit them , they do not want competetion coming in,,, wow political corruptors is what they are,,,